AUTHORS PREFACE. IN a work like the NUMISALITA ORIENTALIA, which is
designed to embrace the whole field of Oriental Numismatics, the
coinage of the great Persian Empire holds of necessity an avowedly
leading position. The famous Persian Darics, lthe archers, so
frequently alluded to in the history of Grecce and of mhich tho
influence was often so detrimental to the morality of the Hellenes,
form the connecting link bctween the coinage of the Empire of
Craesus on the one hand and that of Alexander the Great on the
other. We are thus led to commence with the consideration of the
coinage of the kingdom of Lydia, a thorough cornproheusion of mhich
is primarily desirable for those who mould attain to a fuller
knowledge of Persian numismatics than is to be gained by a mere
contemplation of thc types of the coins. The Persian daric is the
legitimate successor of the gold statcr of Crcesus, to whose
administrative genius must bo ascribed the earliest idea of a
double currency based upon the relative values of gold and silver.
We are therefore called upon to examine, first of all, the origin
of the system of weights in use throughout thc East in remote
times, and to trace back to their source on the banks of the
Euphrates and the Tigris the germs of the meights adopted in Lydia
by the ancestors of Crccsus, according to which the precious metals
mere then estimated, and passed from hand to hand as recognised
measures of the exchangeable value of all other commodities. These
primitive weight-systems mere the basis of the futuro coinage, not
only of Asia, but of European Grecce and Lydia is the border-land,
the intermediate territory and link between the East and the Test.
For this reason I have prefixed to my description of the lydian
coinage an introductory survey of the eight systems in use
throughout the East before the invention of the art of coining.
These preliminary remarks are, with some small modifications,
extracted from an article which I published in the Numismatic
Chronicle N.s. vol. xv. p. 247 sqq. On the ancient electrum coins
struck betveeu the Lelantian Wars and the accession of Darius. The
origin and the nomenclaturc of the Greek systems of meight is a
subject which, until quite lately, has been so much misunderstood
both by metrologists and numismatists, that a recapitulation in the
present work of some of the chief results of thc invaluable labours
of Nommsen and of Brandis in this direction will form an
appropriate introduction. But to pass from AIetrology to
Numismatics. The earliest rude attempts at coining are undoubtedly
the issucs of the Sardian mint but mhen at a somewhat later period,
probably during the reign of Sadyattes, the artistic influence of
the Grceks of thc coast towns began to make itself felt in the
Lydian capital, and when thc coins of Lydia are first adorned mith
the figures of animals, it be- comes difficult, if not impossible,
to dram thc line betmccn the coinage of Lydia and that of the
Asiatic Greek cities, and morc especially Nilctus. In still later
times, during the reign of Crmsus, the coinage of Lydia again
stands out clearly marked and easily distinguishable, with its
national type, the fore-parts of a Lion and a Bull face to face...
General
Imprint: |
Read Books
|
Country of origin: |
United Kingdom |
Release date: |
October 2008 |
First published: |
October 2008 |
Authors: |
Barclay V Head
|
Dimensions: |
216 x 140 x 4mm (L x W x T) |
Format: |
Paperback - Trade
|
Pages: |
68 |
ISBN-13: |
978-1-4437-7439-0 |
Categories: |
Books >
Humanities >
History >
General
Books >
History >
General
|
LSN: |
1-4437-7439-1 |
Barcode: |
9781443774390 |
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